A 12-person jury has decided that a former Texas doctor, who was found guilty of raping a female patient, will get a slap on the wrist and will serve absolutely no time behind bars.
Shafeeq Sheikh, who was a clinician at the Houston’s Ben Taub Hospital, was given ten years of probation for his crime.
In 2013, Sheikh was working the night shift when a patient whose first name is Laura came in.
The woman had acute asthma symptoms which means that she had shortness of breath and was wheezing.
Laura, who was heavily sedated, was visited by Sheikh 12 times throughout the night, and at one point he raped her.
The former Texas doctor claimed the sexual acts that took place between himself and the woman were consensual.
The married man and father of four told his attorney that he was intrigued by Laura’s breast implants which is why he visited her about a dozen times.
He went to say that Laura is the one who placed his hands on her breasts, giving him the signal that she was interested in having intercourse.
Laura said she was on several medications and was confused by the events that took place that night.
She told authorities that the physician forced himself on her and sexually assaulted her without a condom.
She said she attempted several times to call a nurse for help, but the call button did not work.
Even though DNA evidence from Laura’s rape kit implicated Sheikh as the likely suspect, it took the police two years to charge him with the crime.
The jury decided to have mercy on the doctor after his attorney argued that his wife, children, and other family members had significantly suffered from his bad decision.
Additionally, he has been punishing himself for the last five years. Sheikh will now have to register as a sex offender.
Laura said via a lawyer she no longer wants to talk about the matter and wants to move on with her life.
